This Life I Chose
by DownwardSunshine
Summary: 1983 Life is but a set of choices. Can they make the right ones? Semi AU HO DE JH


A/N: You absolutely HAVE to suspend belief during this story. It still takes place in the 70's – 80's BUT the songs used do not. I'm also breaking nine trillion copyright laws but shhh… just don't tell anyone ;) ….

Oh and we're going to pretend that Jackie's singing doesn't make glass shatter. If you've seen the Musical episode then yea you know what I mean… seriously suspend belief. If everything has to be perfectly in character and according to canon for you dear reader then hit the back button now.

Oh, I don't own That 70's show. If I did I'd have a naked Hyde in my bed and I sure as hell wouldn't have the energy to write anything… evil grin

**1983**

"Donna, would you get that?" Eric yelled referring to the doorbell that had chimed as he flipped a burger on the grill.

"Sure." Donna replied as she set the drinks she was carrying down on the patio table. She planted a quick kiss on Eric's cheek and rushed to the door. As she swung it open a smile appeared on her face. "Hyde! It's so good to see you!" She squealed as she grabbed him around the waist and hugged him.

Hyde uncomfortably returned her hug. "Donna, man let go…"

Donna laughed as she retreated. She glanced over and saw a woman standing next to him. Donna pursed her lips and frowned assessing the stranger. It wasn't like Hyde to bring a date to their monthly gathering. It was supposed to be just the old group. Nobody had specifically stated that but it had been implied. Donna looked her up and down and her frown deepened. The girl looked almost normal, like WASP normal …she was definitely a cut above the trashy shanks he seemed to gravitate towards. Donna shook her head quickly and placed a smile on her face "Hyde, so who is this?" Donna's eyes grew wide at the blush she saw creep up Hyde's face.

"Donna, this is Cathy." He stated placing his hand upon Cathy's back as he gently propelled her into the living room. Donna closed the door and turned towards them with a perplexed look on her face. Okay then, Donna thought. She followed them into the living room. "Hey Eric! Hyde's here." She yelled towards the patio.

"Un Huh, be right there… I just have to... God Damnit! Shit! Ow Ow Ow…."

Donna shook her head exasperated. She turned towards Hyde and Cathy. "I'll be right back, just make yourselves at home, there's beer in the fridge. I have to make sure he hasn't lit himself on fire." As she walked outside Hyde overheard her muttering to herself. "Freaking doofus…"

Hyde grinned and turned towards Cathy. "Yep, it's good to know that not much changes. Can I get you a drink… or?"

Cathy shook her head and rubbed her stomach. "Oh no, I'm much too nervous to drink or eat anything but thanks sweetie. I've heard so much about these people, I just want them to like me."

Hyde grabbed her hands. "Cath, they'll love you, I know they will." He let go of her hands and began to rub her arms. "Just calm down, you'll meet them and the next thing you'll know Eric will be sharing some lame Star Wars joke with you and Donna will be trying to turn you into Gloria Steinem."

Cathy laughed. "Well Star Wars and a little Steinem I can handle." She stepped past Hyde and glanced around the room. "You know Hyde; this is a nice little place they have." A photograph on the wall caught her eye and she walked towards it. "Hey Hyde, is this you here?" She asked pointing towards it. Hyde followed her and saw that it was their graduation photo; the one Kitty had made them all get dressed up for after they had missed their official picture. He nodded. "Yep, that's me and the whole gang." Hyde turned to Cathy and saw that she was focused on one face in the picture. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Hey, let's go meet Eric; I haven't heard any yelling so he must not have fried himself…" He trailed off hoping that she would just let it go and they could not have this conversation now.

"So, that's Jackie." Cathy whispered not taking her eyes away from the image.

So much for that, Hyde grimaced. "Yea, that's Jackie. Hey, you know I think I hear Donna calling us…" He made one last vain attempt to prompt her away.

"How old were you here, 17, 18?"

"I was 18, why?" Hyde wondered where she was going with this as he walked towards the couch and sat down.

Cathy's eyes left the picture and she turned towards him. "Hyde, I appreciate that you told me all about your past, the good and the bad and about everyone that was in it. You did some shitty things…I mean really crappy things…"

"Yea, Cath I get it…" Hyde interrupted.

"Sorry." Cathy smiled softly before she continued. "I know a lot about you and your past and I know that everyone that I'll meet today was a part of it but they were also a part of Jackie's life too and I know they still are. I don't know what I'm walking into here Hyde."

Hyde frowned. "Cathy, what are you talking about? Sure they're still friends with Jackie but it's not like we were together recently. Hell we were kids then, I haven't talked to her in a while."

"Hyde I know that. It's just when you told me what happened between the two of you I was shocked that it just ended like that and neither one of you tried to do anything." Cathy took a calming breath and looked into Hyde's eyes. "It seemed that you two had loved each other, did you love her Hyde?" She whispered.

Hyde stood up and walked towards her. He took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly as he tried to come up with the right words. Had he loved Jackie? He had asked himself that hundreds of times when they were together and more so after they had parted. Up until a few months ago when he had met Cathy his dreams had been filled with her. He could still remember her eyes and how he had felt when he looked into them. It felt like salvation or whatever that shit was supposed to feel like. Hyde looked deep into Cathy's eyes. "Yea, I think I did. For a long time she was everything to me." Hyde wiped a tear from Cathy's eye. "But you know what? That was in the past. You're my future." He whispered as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. He drew back and watched as the sparkle came back into her eyes. She closed her eyes and drew him close. "Thank you, Hyde."

"No need to thank me babe, it's just the way it is." Hyde released her when he heard the doorbell ring and voices outside.

"Hey! Let me in… we need to get this party started and without Kelso it's just not a party!"

"Ai, Kelso, stop jumping up and down! That was my foot you idiot…"

"Oh, dude sorry Fez."

Hyde rolled his eyes and grinned. "Okay Cath, if those pervs try anything you just pop em' one, alright?"

Cathy furrowed her brow. "Huh?

"Just trust me." He said as he opened the door.

"Hyde!" Kelso shouted as he stepped into the room. He dropped his bag and was about to grab Hyde in a hug before he was stopped by Hyde's hands. "No man, no hugs…damn."

"Fine Hyde, you're such a baby." Kelso rolled his eyes and glanced around the room looking for Donna and Eric. What he saw made him pause. The petite blonde standing in the middle of the room nervously looking at him was definitely not Donna, unless Donna had lost a foot in height and gained it in her rack.

"Well, Hello there pretty lady." He ran his hands through his hair wishing he had a mirror to check his appearance. He stepped further into the room and stopped in front of Cathy. "I'm Michael Kelso, and I think you're the love of my life."

"Oh, Foxy lady!" Fez exclaimed as he saw what had Kelso in thrall. "Kelso, you're married. Move away so Fez can get some action."

Kelso turned to Fez, "Is Brooke here? Do you see Brooke here anywhere?" He motioned around the room with his hands. His eyes started to frantically dart around the room. "Man, she's not here right?"

Hyde shook his head and punched him in the arm. "Damn Hyde! Man, what was that for?" Kelso yelled.

"Dude, you're an idiot, that's what that was for. Brooke isn't here but that's beside the point. This is Cathy and she's my girlfriend so lay off."

Fez's shoulders slumped. "Why, why, why?" He threw his hands up in the air. "Why does he always get the good ones?"

Kelso glanced at Cathy and took in her neat appearance and reserved attire. "Are you serious?" He asked Hyde.

Hyde stepped towards him menacingly. "Kelso, man…don't make me hit you again."

Kelso raised his hands. "Okay, okay. So, uh…where are Donna and Eric?"

Hyde stepped back and pointed towards the patio door. "They're outside; Donna had to make sure the scrawny one didn't light the place up."

Out of the corner of his eye Hyde saw the patio door open and the object of conversation walk in the room.

"Hey Eric." Hyde grinned.

"Hey Hyde." Eric glanced around the room and saw Kelso and Fez bickering in the corner and rolled his eyes. As he was walking towards them he caught sight of Cathy. "Well, well, who do we have here?" He questioned.

Cathy looked around the room with wide eyes. "Um, hey I'm Cathy, Hyde's…"

"She's my chick." Hyde stepped towards her and placed his arm around her shoulders.

"Hyde!" Cathy slapped him on the chest. "I hate it when you say that and you know it."

Hyde grinned down at her. "Of course I know it which is why I do it."

Cathy rolled her eyes and stepped towards Eric to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you Eric."

"Yea, you too Cathy." He said as he released her hand. He turned towards Kelso and Fez.

"Hey guys, Donna has something she wanted to show us before we ate…"

Eric was interrupted by Donna's raised voice as she opened the patio door. "Eric, umm let's not do that now, we can just eat and maybe later we can…"

Eric furrowed his brow at his fiancée. "Donna, what are you talking about? You were so excited about this earlier, why wouldn't you want to?" He saw Donna tilting her head towards Hyde frantically. Eric frowned. "Donna, what's the matter with you, did you hurt your neck?"

Donna exhaled loudly and threw her hands up in the air. "Eric you're a moron you know that?"

"What, what did I say?" He replied.

She just shook her head as she walked deeper into the room. "I just think that now might not be the best time."

Hyde looked between the two of them and narrowed his eyes. "Okay you two, what the hell is going on?"

Eric shrugged as he flopped down on the couch. "Got me man, Donna wanted to show everyone the video for Jackie's new…" He glanced at Cathy and his eyes widened. "Oh…Oh!"

Donna walked up to him and smacked him in the head. "Doofus!"

"Donna?" Hyde tilted his head questioningly.

Donna sighed as she sat down next to Eric. She looked up at Cathy and Hyde and bit her lip. "I know you and Jackie are over, I mean way over."

Hyde nodded his head. "Right, and?"

"Well she wrote a new song for Eric and me, for the wedding and they shot a video for it. I just got it in the mail yesterday, I haven't seen it yet and I thought that since we would all be together today that we could well, watch it…" She trailed off uncomfortably.

Hyde quirked an eyebrow. "Donna, I don't think…"

He was interrupted by Cathy. "No Hyde, I…its okay. I want to see it."

Hyde looked down at her. "Cathy, its okay they can watch it some other time…" He heard Donna sigh and he closed his eyes. "Donna…?"

"Yea, that's fine. No big deal. Let's just go eat." She said as she began to stand up from the couch.

Cathy shook her head. "No, No! It's fine. I mean Jackie and Hyde have been over forever and she's everyone's friend here. There is no reason why we shouldn't watch it." She said with a shaky smile.

The tension was broken by the raised voices of Kelso and Fez.

"Man Whore! That's what you are … and what pisses me off is that you never taught me how to be one!" Fez yelled as he stomped his foot.

"Hey, Fez that's just something you're born with. It's not my fault. They just don't give that trait to foreigners. It's not my fault!"

Donna looked at the ceiling wondering if this day could get worse. "Enough you two! We're going to watch Jackie's new video. So sit down and shut up!" She yelled as she pointed towards the loveseat.

Fez grinned. "Ai, I get to see my princess." He walked over to the loveseat followed by Kelso.

"Fez, she isn't your princess anymore, didn't she dump you like a Styx album?" Hyde pointed out as he sat down on the floor pulling Cathy down beside him.

"Hey! Styx was cool!" Eric exclaimed.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Yea okay Foreplay."

"Man! Foreplay! I totally forgot about that. Nice burn Hyde!" Kelso grinned.

Eric frowned. "Just stop it."

Donna put the video in the VCR and grabbed the remote. "Guys, leave him alone before you make him cry okay? Geez, you all still act like a couple of teenagers!" She exclaimed as she sat down on the couch. She turned to Hyde. "Hey, are you sure about this?"

Hyde glanced down at Cathy. He saw her nod her head. "Yea, Donna it's cool." He inwardly sighed. He hadn't seen Jackie in six months. He didn't know what his reaction was going to be to this. She had left Point Place shortly after the Foreman's New Years Eve party and had been waiting tables in New York while she went on auditions. They didn't speak but he had heard all about it from Donna and Fez. Jackie had waited tables for a year while singing in nightclubs at night. He had wanted to see her but didn't know what the hell to say. Hyde smirked. Hell, he never knew what to say. Then one day Donna had called him shrieking something about a record deal and once he had gotten her to calm down and breath she had revealed that a talent scout had heard one of Jackie's demo tapes and had given her a tentative recording contract. The album didn't go platinum or anything but it had been successful enough for them to release another one. It had topped out at #10 on the billboard charts and Jackie was living the life of the pop star that she had always dreamed of becoming. Hyde stocked both of her records and displayed them prominently in Grooves. He told everyone it had nothing to do with it being Jackie and everything to with her being from Point Place, people loved a local gal done well story. Hyde knew he was lying though. He was amazed at her talent and he had had to replace his own personal copies of her albums more than once because they had been played so often. He thought back to the last time he had seen her and sighed. It hadn't gone down well, but then it never did with them.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Jackie appear on the screen. Her producers had her in a convertible with the top down driving down a long stretch of deserted highway. Her appearance struck him breathless. She was absolutely gorgeous with her long dark hair whipping in the wind and her mismatched eyes seem to be staring into his soul. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the song. He knew that if he didn't he would travel down a road that he has finally turned away from.

_I'm staring out into the night,  
Trying to hide the pain.  
I'm going to the place where love  
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.  
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain._

_Well I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old,  
So I'm going home.  
Well I'm going home._

Hyde didn't need to hear the rest of the song to know what it was about. He smiled softly as he listened to Jackie sum up the relationship between Donna and Eric. She had gotten it exactly right. They were always running from each other and last year they had finally stopped.

_The miles are getting longer, it seems,  
The closer I get to you.  
I've not always been the best one or friend for you.  
But your love remains true.  
And I don't know why.  
You always seem to give me another try._

_So I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old,_

When Donna had left for Madison and left Eric behind in the process Hyde thought they were over for good and he had thought they deserved that fate. Neither one of them seemed to want to try and make things right. They weren't as screwed as he and Jackie had been. The Donna, Eric thing was simple. They loved each other but refused to be at the same place at the same time.

_Be careful what you wish for,  
'Cause you just might get it all.  
You just might get it all,  
And then some you don't want.  
Be careful what you wish for,  
'Cause you just might get it all.  
You just might get it all, yeah._

Finally Donna had stopped waiting for Eric to come for her and had stormed into Grooves one afternoon, grabbed Eric by the ear and dragged him out of the store. The next thing Hyde knew they were back together, happy and engaged not long after.

_Oh, well I'm going home,  
Back to the place where I belong,  
And where your love has always been enough for me.  
I'm not running from.  
No, I think you got me all wrong.  
I don't regret this life I chose for me.  
But these places and these faces are getting old.  
I said these places and these faces are getting old,  
So I'm going home.  
I'm going home._

As the song ended Hyde opened his eyes and looked over at Donna. He saw tears in her eyes. "Good job, doll." He whispered quietly to himself.

A/N 2: I don't own "Home" by Daughtry either. Okay then… well I'll take any review. Even if it's to say: "This is awful… eww don't ever write anything again." Although, I'm kind of hoping you won't want to say that. P.S. This is JH at heart. Just in case people think I'm setting up an H/O story.


End file.
